By Elliot Foster

Paul Smith has played down the idea that he will return in October.

The former two-time world title challenger had been set to return in the autumn on a card at the ECHO Arena in Liverpool, live on Sky Sports.

Boxing Scene understood that the eldest of the four fighting siblings (37-6, 21 KOs) would fight for the third time this year on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s first defence of the WBC cruiserweight world title alongside two of his brothers Stephen and Callum.

But the 33-year-old has refuted those claims and is now expected to come back to the ring earlier than October 15.

Smith, who scored back-to-back victories in May following an 11-month hiatus following defeat to Andre Ward last June, has said on Twitter that he will return to action in September, with a date and venue for his fight still to be revealed, and that he “won’t be on in Liverpool on the October bill.”

Further details will be announced in due course.